Monsters of the Mind
by WrittenSorrows
Summary: One-shot. The monsters of the mind are far worse than the ones that already exist.


_**Hello there. I'm WrittenSorrows and I am pleased that you decided to read this story. I used to write, but I gave it up for a long time. But I'm hoping this will revive my passion. So please enjoy reading.**_

The monsters of the mind are far worse than any that actually exist. A real monster can be killed, defeated or vanquished, but the ones of the mind continue to linger, even after they are destroyed. The mind is the greatest tool that human can possess, but it is also its greatest enemy. The mind knows your desires, your dreams and your wishes. But it also knows your fears, your failures and your weaknesses. Once a person achieves a desire, a dream or a wish, their fears, failures and weaknesses seem to disappear.

_Avatar Aang dreams of a world of peace, yet he cannot escape the enormous guilt he feels for abandoning his people to the Fire Nation soldiers all those years ago. He continues to put on a brave face, but he is constantly plagued by the despair that the Air Nomads will never recover and that it was his cowardice that was cause of such atrocities. That will be his downfall._

_Katara will do anything for the people she loves, but she fears the day that she will have to make the same choice that her mother made, and allow herself to die so that others may live. She does not wish to abandon her children as her mother inadvertently did so. Her love for her family is spoilt by the unconscious resentment at her mother for leaving her. This dilemma will spell her doom._

_Sokka believes he is a fierce warrior, the one to help the Water Tribe regain its standing with the other nations. Yet, deep down, he fears that he cannot deal with the responsibility that will eventually lie on his shoulders. His constant desire to live up to his own expectations will cause him to become reckless and arrogant. It will bring about his fall._

_Toph claims she does not need anyone, that she is independent and should be respected as such. But she longs for companionship, someone to see past the gritty Earthbender and love the woman underneath. Occasionally, her mask will slip and she will become helpless and weak. The right exploitation will see her defeat. _

_Zuko is certain that his honour is decided by him, but in reality, he has never moved past his mother's disappearance and his father's disregard of him. He fears that what he has gained from his parents, especially his father, will make him awful to his own children as well. His weakness to accept such trivialities will not only lead to his death, but the shame of all those around him._

As Azula lies in her cell, staring through the gap in the bars at the moon, she smiles fanatically, for her escape will bring about the deaths of all those who wronged her. Azula is a real monster. She has been locked away, but the thought of her strikes fear through all of them.

_On the anniversary of the Fall of Ba Sing Se, Aang yells and writhes in the bed sheets, his mind bringing back the memories of that terrible day._

_Katara watches her family with adoration, but is constantly glancing about; her paranoia sees a spear of lightning lancing at the unaware children._

_Sokka presents his plans for repairs and treaties to the Tribe's elders, but all he sees is the smile that once mocked him on the Day of Black Sun._

_Toph fights to prove her reputation and skill, but all she can sense is that familiar sound of that dreaded heartbeat, the one that stalked her and her friends for months._

_Zuko strides to the royal throne room, where his wife and children await, but as he enters, he sees the room is stained with the blood of his beloved and a dark figure sits on his seat, obscured by the azure walls._

Azula continues to plague them, even after all these years. She is a monster of the mind just as much as she is a real one. And even though she has her own demons, she knows the demons of everyone else.

_**Just a quick one-shot to get started. If you like it, or hate it, please leave a review, I enjoy hearing what people think, even the bad ones. **_

_**WrittenSorrows.**_


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